Everton snapped up Yerry Mina from Barcelona in August.
Everton defender Yerry Mina has told the Liverpool Echo that he spoke to ex-Liverpool hero Philippe Coutinho before making the move to Goodison Park – and the report adds that he spoke to Tottenham Hotspur’s Davinson Sanchez too.
Mina, 24, made his first Premier League appearance against Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, before coming in for a first start against Chelsea on Sunday.
The giant Colombian had a couple of shaky moments but largely impressed, winning the man of the match award after a fine full debut against Chelsea hitman Alvaro Morata.
Mina could now keep his place against Cardiff City after the international break, with fellow summer signing Kurt Zouma facing a tough task getting back into Marco Silva’s side.
After all, Everton pursued Mina for much of the summer and paid a big fee to lure him from Barcelona, just months after he joined the Catalan giants from Brazilian outfit Palmeiras.
Mina hit three goals in three games for Colombia at the World Cup and may have hoped to break through with Barca, but ultimately chose to move on and head to Everton instead.
Now, Mina has revealed that he spoke to Philippe Coutinho, with the former Liverpool star telling him to ‘relax’ and he would be fine with Everton, talking up Liverpool as a city, whilst the Liverpool Echo note that he also spoke to Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez about the move having played together for Colombia.
“When the talk came around that I might be coming to Everton, I had got on well with Coutinho in my time at Barcelona and so I got on the phone to him and he was telling me all about the city,” he reveals.
“He told me to relax and that I would be fine. I am lucky enough to do a job I love doing but certainly Coutinho gave me advice, he knew all I wanted to do was play football and told me that Everton were a good club and that I wouldn’t go wrong by coming here.”
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